EDH Optimizer
Lightning, Security Sergeant
Legendary Creature — Human Soldier · 2R
Color identity: Red
Lightning, Security Sergeant is red: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)
Whenever Lightning deals combat damage to a player, exile the top card of your library. You may play that card for as long as you control Lightning.
Reference price of the card: €0.47
Average lands in decks for Lightning, Security Sergeant: 36
AggroEquipmentBurnComboExileVoltronCascadeExtra Combats
Build your Lightning, Security Sergeant deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Lightning, Security Sergeant 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Lightning, Security Sergeant deck starts over 4,000 games
The list people actually play per EDHREC (the 99 most-included cards, with its average land count), simulated with the EDH Optimizer engine: hands, mulligans, lands, curve and commander. It does not model opponents; it measures whether the plan gets going.
Deck health of the average list: B (69/100)
- Consistency86
- Speed61
- Interaction44
- Resilience78
- Closing83
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (7 nonbasic, 29 Mountain)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Chaos Warp · Laelia, the Blade Reforged · Blasphemous Act · Etali, Primal Storm · Lightning Greaves · Wild-Magic Sorcerer · Tavern Brawler · The Fire Crystal · Flaming Tyrannosaurus · Lightning Bolt · Cait Sith, Fortune Teller · Haste Magic · Ruby Medallion · Swiftfoot Boots · Passionate Archaeologist · Professional Face-Breaker · Vandalblast · Lizard Blades · The Reaver Cleaver · Kami of Celebration · Charred Foyer // Warped Space · Improvisation Capstone · Keeper of Secrets · Karlach, Fury of Avernus · Big Score · Nalfeshnee · Summon: Brynhildr · Iraxxa, Empress of Mars · Light Up the Stage · Mana Geyser · Opera Love Song · Thunder Magic · Jeska's Will · Sword of the Animist · Wayfarer's Bauble · Seething Song · Chandra, Torch of Defiance · Deflecting Swat · Triple Triad · Abrade · Delayed Blast Fireball · Faithless Looting · Party Thrasher · Runaway Steam-Kin · Suplex · Temur Battle Rage · Whispersilk Cloak · Fire Diamond · Memory Worm · Ultimate Magic: Meteor · Plargg and Nassari · Rose, Cutthroat Raider · Tablet of Discovery · Unstable Amulet · Solemn Simulacrum · Sunset Strikemaster · Sword of Feast and Famine · Cursed Mirror · Embercleave · Freya Crescent · Mind Stone · Rogue's Passage · Arena of Glory · Myriad Landscape · Spinerock Knoll · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle · Castle Embereth
🃏 Recommended cards for Lightning, Security Sergeant
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Lightning, Security Sergeant, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Laelia, the Blade Reforged | 62% | +56% |
| Wild-Magic Sorcerer | 51% | +47% |
| Tavern Brawler | 49% | +47% |
| Flaming Tyrannosaurus | 48% | +47% |
| Cait Sith, Fortune Teller | 47% | +47% |
| Etali, Primal Storm | 57% | +44% |
| Passionate Archaeologist | 46% | +43% |
| Haste Magic | 47% | +43% |
| Kami of Celebration | 41% | +40% |
| Keeper of Secrets | 40% | +39% |
| Lizard Blades | 43% | +38% |
| Charred Foyer // Warped Space | 40% | +37% |
| Summon: Brynhildr | 37% | +36% |
| Improvisation Capstone | 40% | +36% |
| Rogue's Passage | 60% | +35% |
| Nalfeshnee | 37% | +35% |
| Iraxxa, Empress of Mars | 35% | +34% |
| Thunder Magic | 34% | +33% |
| Karlach, Fury of Avernus | 39% | +33% |
| Opera Love Song | 34% | +32% |
| The Reaver Cleaver | 42% | +31% |
| Triple Triad | 31% | +29% |
| Ultimate Magic: Meteor | 29% | +29% |
| Memory Worm | 29% | +29% |
💰 The best cards for your Lightning, Security Sergeant deck, by budget
Three tiers based on the maximum price PER CARD you are willing to pay. Paste your list and hit Optimize: you pick that cap and the AI only suggests swaps that fit under it.
Tier 1 · Budget up to €2/card
The most value for almost nothing. Coming from a precon? Start here.
- Laelia, the Blade Reforged
- Tavern Brawler
- Cait Sith, Fortune Teller
- Etali, Primal Storm
- Haste Magic
- Kami of Celebration
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Wild-Magic Sorcerer
- Flaming Tyrannosaurus
- Keeper of Secrets
- Lizard Blades
- Nalfeshnee
- The Fire Crystal
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Passionate Archaeologist
- Improvisation Capstone
- Karlach, Fury of Avernus
- The Reaver Cleaver
- Delayed Blast Fireball
- Sword of Feast and Famine
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Lightning, Security Sergeant
- Underworld Breach + Wheel of Fortune + Jeska's Will → Infinite draw triggers for all players, Infinite looting for all players, Near-infinite magecraft triggers, Near-infinite storm count
- Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond + Wheel of Fortune → Infinite draw triggers, Infinite looting, Infinite looting for opponents, Near-infinite storm count
- Dualcaster Mage + Twinflame → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature tokens with haste, Infinite magecraft triggers
- Rings of Brighthearth + Basalt Monolith → Infinite colorless mana
- The Reaver Cleaver + Aggravated Assault → Infinite artifact ETB, Infinite artifact LTB, Infinite artifact sacrifice triggers, Infinite artifact tokens, Infinite colored mana, Infinite combat damage, Infinite combat phases, Infinite mana creatures you control can produce, Infinite Treasure tokens, Infinite untap of creatures you control
- Blasphemous Act + Repercussion → Near-infinite damage to all players
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Lightning, Security Sergeant's color identity?
Lightning, Security Sergeant is red: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones. Color identity comes from every mana symbol on the card, including those in the rules text, not just the casting cost.
What turn does Lightning, Security Sergeant come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Lightning, Security Sergeant deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 2.9 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 100 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 14 % of the time and floods 1 %. Deck health: B (69/100).
How many lands should a Lightning, Security Sergeant deck run?
Real Lightning, Security Sergeant decks run 36 lands on average. That is a starting point, not a rule: a lower curve can shave one or two, big-mana builds want more. The EDH Optimizer simulator tells you, over 10,000 games, how often you get mana screwed or flooded with your exact count.
What are the best cards for Lightning, Security Sergeant?
The three highest-synergy cards are Laelia, the Blade Reforged, Wild-Magic Sorcerer, Tavern Brawler. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Lightning, Security Sergeant decks.
What combos does Lightning, Security Sergeant have?
Lightning, Security Sergeant has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Underworld Breach + Wheel of Fortune + Jeska's Will. Note that two-card combos raise your deck's bracket, so it is worth knowing which ones you are running before you sit down.
How much does a Lightning, Security Sergeant deck cost?
You can start cheap: Laelia, the Blade Reforged, Tavern Brawler, Cait Sith, Fortune Teller are under €2 each. The "Level up" section on this page splits the best cards into three price caps PER CARD (up to €2, up to €10 and no cap), and the optimizer only suggests swaps that fit the cap you pick.